Noctigon 20mm copper triple XPG/XPE/XTE coming soon!

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
371

Pulled 1162 lumens at 30 seconds on an AW IMR18350 in the L2m shorty. 1176 lumens at start. Not bad for a tiny light, not bad at all.

Does it matter, really, what else “might” do those numbers? This was my very first triple build, even re-flowed the emitters… had fun doing it, it looks awesome and blows people’s minds with it’s size/power ratio. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Edit: It’s actually 100-200 lumens brighter than any single cell XM-L2 light I’ve built, stacking chips on the 105c driver til the cell maxed out.

372

That lower Vf must really help allow more current to be drawn from the cells.

373

Yes, compared to single emitters with high Vf for sure.

Got my X-Power host from FT today. It is a Convoy S6 host complete with box. It is slightly different in details compared to my older FF Xiaozhi but the internals that are included seem better and hassle free hopefully. Unlike the Xiaozhi which tested me quite a bit to get done properly.

Finish is nice, flawless, if it is anodized or not I cannot tell on any flashlight.
Since it’s a cheap Chinese flashlight any anodization on these lights is always something of an unexpected bonus if it really does resits scratching a little better than simple paint.

Still waiting on those Noctigons from IO! |(
Got my later order from IO today, the earlier Noctigon order, still not here.
Eeeerggrhhh.

Now I have everything for 2 lights, just not the Noctigons because the post is doing who knows what with them.

The replies from IO are priceless as well. Be it eBay I would already have it refunded without even asking for a refund. 38 days, Noctigons still enroute or lost.

The Convoy S6 should be HAIII according to FT. And as it came with the stock refloctor it probably does not fit protected batteries, because the reflector is deeped than my already quite deep Xiaozhi reflector.

374

Yes, my last order was shipped out on 10/28, arrived today.

Measure the S6 battery tube from front face to rear face, it's almost exactly 70mm. You'll need to leave more of a gap between the pill and the front of the tube to fit the longer cells (and/or use a flat, single-sided driver). I've chopped up five S6s now, they're built with the front of the tube touching the rear of the pill and that leaves just enough room for a 65-66mm unprotected cell.

375

What did you build?

I’m thinking of making 2 and selling one since I don’t need two most likely.
So a triple Nichia 219 light might be for sell later.

Xiaozhi has tons of space inside as long as you don’t mess it up like they probably did with the stock S6 that has longer reflector than Xiaozhi and might not take protected batteries in that case. While making a triple there is obviously tons of space so 70mm battery space is what I aim for.

Let me measure some things for comparison.
Xiaozhi S6
body 69.60mm 70.05mm
battery 18.95mm 19.05mm
head 43.40mm 43.00mm
head thread 12.20mm 16.80mm
tail 27.10mm 27.05mm
pill depth 6.15mm/3.05mm 6.55mm/1.70mm
refector 16.60mm 19.90mm/18.40mm
total length 115mm 117mm

…

S6 has deeper space for switch boot so will tailstand more easily without worries. S6 has counter threaded brass switch thingy so it will not loosen when unscrewing the tail. Not that it happens on my Xiaozhi but it’s a nice addition.
S6 has dimensions that by default make it longer and take up more internal space.
Nearly 1.80mm on reflector, 1.35mm on driver, tail is less deep and to fit the battery they made the body longer.

Too bad the thread is not as deep on S6 as is on Xiaozhi. Ordered X-Power but we already “know” that they get it all from one place that makes Convoy lights anyway.

The flashlight host is nice and complete, just too bad that with the stock things it might be a little tight for protected batteries indeed.

S6 will need a bigger copper spacer, I guess 9mm of copper, at least the triple will have some heft behind it.

The Nichias on my CPU heatsink are making the heatsink HOT and not even running on full power, just 10.00V in series, makes 3.33V per one, unknown current. 70x70x43mm copper core CPU heatsink. It does cool down and it’s not burning hot but it’s uncomfortably hot when it’s ON.

I think the lights will appreciate any added copper to them.

Oh I almost forgot, the Noctigons arrived today after 40days and a later order from IO arriving much sooner in a regular xmas 3 weeks time instead of those nearly 6 weeks.

They look awesome.

The S6 is then a redesign of Xiaozhi and it’s not made the most clever way to fit protected 70mm batteries.
What hosts are compatible with 70mm batteries?
Too bad people don’t write on FT or review here as much, I might repost those dimensions there myself.

What host has the deepest threads toward the front in the head?
I hoped this host would be more similar to my Xiaozhi that has them cut generously forward.

376

S6 doesn't need a spacer, it needs to be shortened. :)

Take off the pill threads at the front end so it screws in far enough to seat the TIR against the lens. Then shorten the head by whatever amount will give you the desired battery space.

377

You post way too much XD I will check it thanks.

And what do you call that aluminum on the pill? I call that a spacer :stuck_out_tongue:
Except I make them from copper.

Yes I did already take the threads off from the pill, I think that’s much easier and useful to minify than making a ring on the outside of the spacer. But I’ve seen you did that too on some other pics.

378

Do not use a glass lens with these!! Do not use a lens. Not even a good AR lens. It alters the beam when the lens is in contact with the front of the TIR. If there's an air gap between them it's fine, but not if they're touching. Do not ask me why or how, but it does.

379

Why would you even use a lens?

I just use an o-ring to seal it. Or the RTV silicone if you prefer it.
Using double lenses causes trouble, light refracts.
It can be anything added on those Carclo, plastic or glass, anything.
And it also generates more light loss.

I see no advantages to using a glass lens other than it may be more scratch resistant than the special lens plastic Carclo lens.

380

I knew there would be a slight loss in light OTF, acceptable for the extra protection, and losses minimized by choosing a nice double-sided AR lens. What I didn't know was how much it would alter the optics of the TIR. It effectively works as if the TIR were thicker, and changes the pattern/spot size dramatically.

The S6 assembles fine without the lens, o-ring sealed direct to the front of the TIR. I'm glad now I didn't open the bezel ID which would have compromised/eliminated the stock o-ring groove. I did have to remove around one more full thread from the front end of the pills to compensate for the missing lens, but there's still 3 full threads left which is plenty.

Also some of my earlier TIR spot pattern comparisons are INVALID, on some sets there were two or more lights with some using a lens and some not. (some sets were shot with all the different optics on the same light, all with no lens, those are sill OK)

381

I built an Interesting Thing!

382

I was waiting for you to some tint mixing... How do you like it? And how does it blend behind the various TIR optics?

383

I think it needs a wider spread, but all I have is some ~3000k XT-Es. They're mentioned in the other S6 build thread:

So maybe one 7xx XT-E, one 3D, one 1A?

But as it is now, it's odd, but I can't make out any 'color' in the output at all, not like when all 3 are the same (brownish-red is always easy to pick up on with the 3Ds, the blue-green with the 1As, etc.). The actual combined color temp with these three wouldn't put it in the 'neutral' range, so I don't really know how to describe it.

384

The further away the various emitters are temperature wise , the easier it will be to notice the difference at the outer edge of the spill... At least with reflectors...

Tints tend to mix well in general though. Floody TIR optics will probably mix better.

So far the most noticeable spill difference I have seen is in my Lustefire 3XU2, the spill/ large "clover blades" makes it easy to notice... Despite that, it was easily worth it.. Ill be mixing various stuff in these in the future.. For those who are into various NW tints. The selection of XP-G2s are somewhat limited. Tint mixing opens up a lot of options. :) ^^

385

I only notice any difference between LEDs at ridiculously close range and on the lower levels, it's just too bright on high anyway. Hard to notice the tints when your eyes close involuntarily. :D

386

:bigsmile:

387

UPDATE/ERROR/CORRECTION: Upon looking through my assortment of assembled boards, I found one fewer with 2Bs and one more with 1As than there should have been - so these pics are comparing the 6000k 2Bs, instead of the 7000k 1As.

1A 2B vs. Tri-Mix™

3D vs. Tri-Mix™

1A 2B vs. 3D

388

Oh I see what you did there maybe?
You cut down the threads from the pill so it can sit more to the front?
I’m keeping as much of those as possible, because that’s the only contact area to transfer the heat to the light’s body.
That’s why you don’t need so big spacers, you just use the pill as a spacer by cutting down it’s threads.

Interesting to see how different people have the same ideas but take different approach to implement them.

Finally :wink:
I’ve been thinking about this too, but rather with something like a sky ray king or some other big light that can take XM-Ls. There is not many options with XP-Gs, harder to get.
Cool, neutral, warm tint combo.

389

There's a correction in post #386 - the 3x 1A light turned out to actually be 3x 2Bs.

Can the mixed-tint light hold its own against the Holy Grail of tint snobbery...?

390

no :-)

there is not enough red in any of the three emitters of the triple